Paste dispenser



yOdi. 8, 1935. H K ANDREWS ET AL V 2 016,357

PASTE DISPENSER Filed Nov.4 l0, 1932 5o J E mmusnm Patented Oct. 8, `1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PASTE DISPENSER Harold K. Andrews, Stratford, and Horatio J.

French, Bridgeport, Conn.

.Application November 10, 1932, Serial No. 642,038

s claims. 01.221-60) pastedispenser which is simple and positive in its mode of operation keeps the dust and air away from the paste while it is not being used; accommodates various sizes of tubes, and can be manufactured economically.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device in which it is not necessary to manipulate a valve in a separate manual operation when it is desired to feed paste from the tube.

It is a further object of the ypresent invention to provide a dispenser with suitable supports for advantageously holding the articles intended to be used with the paste. Y

A feature of the invention is the provision of a simple two-part container for supporting and inclosing the collapsible tube, with novel means Ifor holding the two parts together.

uilnotherA feature is the provision of a button having an acute female tapered thread, on the dispenser, serving as an adaptor to locate and support various sizes of threaded necks on collapsible tubes.

A still further feature of the present invention is the provision of a holder for supporting articles to be used with the paste, and in one form the holder is located, supported and in part formed by the main body member of the dispenser, and in another form the holder is located and supported by the main body.

And yet another feature is the provision of a valve to control -the ow of paste from the container adapted to be opened automatically, and arranged to cut olf the string or ribbon of pastelike material.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing- Figure l is a front plan view of a dispenser made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1.

Fig. 3'is a top plan view of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the support and valve of the present invention in open position.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but with the valve in closed position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one form oi.'

l bracket used with the present invention.

Fig. 'iis a perspective view of a modied form 5 of connection between the cover and base.

Referring now in detail to thedrawing, the dispenser of the present invention, in its present preferred form, comprises a base member I0 having a back plate II provided with suitable aper- 1o tures to accommodate holding screws I2 for connection to a wall I3 or other suitable location.

4This base member is provided with a comparatively long forwardly projecting top wall I4 and bottom wall I5 extending forwardly from the-back 15 plate a considerable extent, and is provided with a pair of side walls I6 extending forwardly from the sides of the back plate just a short extent. The top and bottom walls I4 and I5, respectively, may be in the form of separate pieces riveted, 20 welded or otherwise fastened to the back plate II, but preferably are formed integral therewith as shown.

It should be particularlynoted that the present invention provides a single support I l adapted 25 to accommodate different sizes of collapsible tube threaded necks. This support comprises a button I8 rigidly connected to the top face of the bottom wall by solder or any other suitable device in a position overlying an .outlet port I9 in the bottom wall and is provided with a tapering thread 2!! of a substantial or acute included angle. This tapered thread is so proportioned that a small diameter thread 2 I on the lower end of the neck 22 of a collapsible tube 23 would drop to 35- a point near the bottom of `the tapered thread 2Q before engaging therewith and then with approximately a half turn would' wedge solidly with it toform a leak-proof connection, and

large diameter threaded necks would engage with 40 one of the threads nearer the top of the support and similarly wedge in place as the tube is turned.

If preferred, the support may be made of bakelite or` other molded composition in which event it would be heldin place by two or more rivets 24. The main advantage of `this support is thatA the one device accommodates different sizes of collapsible tubes having different diameters of screw threads and also works satisfactorily to pull down and wedge different pitch threads.

c The manner .in which this connection is effected is best shown in Fig. 5, in which a medium diameter threaded neck 22 of a collapsible tube 23 is shown solidly wedged in place. 'I'he tube 23 is preferably turned until a tongue 25 55 2 thereon is on a line with 'the front of the device and then a key member 26 having a slot 2'I adapted to fit over the tongue 25 is set in place thereon and given one or two twists to compress the walls 28 of the tube 23 and thereby cause the paste in the tube to be forced through the neck 22 and out of the port I9 in the bottom wall I5 for use. i

In general, tooth paste, shaving cream and like pastes which this device is intended to dispense are made and sold in three sizes: a small size, sold in five and ten cents stores; a medium size and jumbo size, sold in drug and department stores. The one support I'I of the present invention is adapted to accommodate the various sizes of male threaded necks on these different sizes of tubes and to form a solid leak-proof connection therewith.

In its simplest form the dispenser provided by the present invention may be used in the state so far described; however, it is preferably provided with a cover 30 adapted to neatly inclose the collapsible tube 23, and also adapted to facilitate manipulation of the key member 26 when compressing paste from the tube. This cover member is preferably made in a substantially U-shape, conforming generally with the shape of the top and bottom walls I4 and I5. It is made just long enough to f'lt within these walls so as to be located and supported against vertical movement thereby. Also, this cover has its sides 3I arranged to fit within the side walls I6 of the base member III so that the latter walls `prevent lateral shifting. Preferably, the sides 3I of the cover are made to spread slightly wider than the distance between the walls I6 on the base member so that it is necessary to squeeze them together slightly to iit them between the latter walls and so that this spreading action tends to frictionally hold the cover back in place relative to the base member.

If preferred, and as shown in Figures 1 and '2, the cover 30 maybe locked in position on the base member. To this end, the present invention provides a pair of ears 32, one on each of the sides 3| of the U-shaped cover 30, adapted to enter suitable cooperating slots 33 in the side walls I6 of the base member. It is merely necessary to squeeze the sides of the cover together until the ears 32 clear the side walls I6 while the cover is slid between the top and bot-v tomvwalls I4 and I5 until the cover engages the back plate II and then as the pressure on the sides is released the ears snap into the slots 32 to rigidly lock the cover relative to the base member. These ears effectively prevent a disconnection ofthe cover from the base member if any inadvertent strain is imposed upon either side of the cover, or if a child or other person should carelessly pull the coverv of the device in a direction away from the base member. In order to release the cover, it is merely necessary to consciously squeeze it on the sides until the ears are again free of the side-walls I6 and then pull the cover directly away from the base member.

The cover may be locked in place by providing downturned ears 34 on both sides of the upper wall I4 and similar upturned ears on both sides of the bottom wall I5 together with small wedgeshaped fingers 35 on the cover piece adapted to snap behind the ears 34 as shown in Fig. '7. Here again it is merely necessary to squeeze on the sides of the cover piece 30 in order to have the lingers 35 clear the ears 34 and then push or pull the coverrelative to the base member in y order to respectively assemble and disassemble the cover. This form of lock may be used together with the side wall I6, ears 32 and slot 33,- or it may be used to replace these. AIf used with- 5 out the side walls I6 the ears 34 function both as a lock and as a support to prevent lateral. movement of the cover.

The cover 30 facilitates manipulation of the key member 26 through the provision of a ver- 10 tical slot 36 on the front face thereof to prevent rotation of the collapsible tube 23 on the supportlI'I which would cause a leakage at this point. For example, it is natural for a user to turn the key member 26 in a clockwise direction 15 and in such manipulation there is a natural tendency to turn the entire collapsible tube in a counterclockwise direction on the support which would tend to break the connection thereto. However, with the'cover 30 in place the wall 20 31 of the slot 36 positively prevents this undesirable turning. The connection of the cover 30 with the base member I0 is easily effected when the key member 26 is on the tube 23 by merely tightening thecollapsible tube in the support I1 25 until the key member 26 is on the line with the slot 36, having the handle 38 portion of the key member paralleling the slot, and then sliding the cover into place while the handle 38 moves easily through the slot. Similarly, when it is desired 30 to remove the cover and change collapsible tubes, it is merely necessary to have the handle parallel the slot.

Althoughit would be possible to take the paste forced from the collapsible tube 23 by turning 35 the key member from the dispenser as it hangs below the port I9 such an arrangement would have the disadvantage. of non-hygienically smearing some of the paste over the lower face of the bottom wall I5 while picking up the paste 40 with a brush or the like and would also permit the air to dry out the substance in the port I9, and in the neck 22 of the tube, so that it would be necessary to turn the key member 26 considerably and build up an excessive hydraulic 45 pressure in the tube which would expel the hardened or dried plug of paste with the attendant disadvantage of expelling an excessive amount of paste. However, the present invention provides a simple and highly eiicient valve 36 for both 50 sealing `the paste container when it is not in use and also for severing the ribbon of paste expelled from the dispenser.v

In its present preferred form, this valve 39 and cut-off arrangement comprises a chamber 55 40 having side walls 4I, a bottom wall 42 and an end wall 43 rigidly secured to the lower face of the bottom wall I5 in a position underlying the port I9, proportioned to snugly accommodate a gate 44 having a pin 45 and slot 46 con- 60 nection thereto which limits its travel in the chamber. The gate is normally in the back or closed position shown in Fig. 5; however, as the key member 26 is rotated a hydraulic pressure is created in the collapsible tube and the paste is expelled therefrom through the' port I9 into the chamber 40 whereupon it pushes the valve gate 44 automatically into the out or open position beyond a secondary port 4] until movement is stopped by the pin 45 engaging one end 70 of the slotv46, as shown in Fig. 4. At the same time a ribbon of paste flows from this latter port exteriorly of the dispenser. Normally, only a small amount of paste is required for use, and, therefore, because of the light weight it hangs acusar? from' the secondary port 41. Now, according to the present invention, the gate 44 is provided with a knife edge 48 which, as the operator presses the gate back in the direction of the arrow 48 in Fig. 5, sweeps over the secondary port 41 and cuts the ribbon of paste so that it drops onto a brush or the like for use. Backward movement of the gate is limited by the pin engaging the other end of the slot 46.

Thus, it will be seen that the present invention provides a compact and highly etllcient combined valve and cutter adapted to be opened automatically as a user compresses the tube to expel paste and adapted to be closed incidental to the manipulation of the cutter to sever from the dispenser a string or ribbon of paste.

The dispenser of the present invention is intended particularly for use in bathrooms .of

' homes for dispensing dental cream and shaving cream. So that it may be used most eiiiciently for these purposes the dispenser is, according to the present invention, arranged to also support those devices or tools used with the paste taken from the dispenser.

In that form shown in Figures l to 3, the device is shown as a. combined shaving cream dispenser and shaving article support, and this is accomplished, according to. the present invention, through the provision of a holder 50 located and supported by the base member I0. This holder comprises a main plate I having narrow spaced arms 52 projecting forwardly therefrom to form back and side walls of a razor blade compartment 53. Vertical movement of these walls relative to the dispenser is limited` by the upper wall I4 of the base member Il) which at the same time forms a bottom for the compartment. Although this three-sided compartment serves quite effectively to locate and support a package of shaving bladeson the dispenser it may, if preferred, be provided with a hinged cover 54 pivoted at 55 forming a top 56 and a front wall 51 for the compartment. The front wall 51 is preferably provided with a peep slot 58 by which the user is apprised at all times of the number of blades still available for use. By having the front wall form a part of the hinged cover the front of the compartment is open and thereby the loading and removal of razor blades in the compartment is facilitated.

The support 50 is also provided with a pair of wide spaced arms 59 projecting forwardly therefrom just wide enough to embrace the sides` I6 of the base member I0 and prevent transverse or lateral shifting. One arm 59 is provided with a large clip 60 to embrace a handle 6I of a shaving brush 62 and the other arm 59 is provided with a smaller clip 63 adapted to embrace land support a handle 64 portion of a safety razor 65. This support may be further clamped relative to the dispenser when the base member is clamped to a wall or the like with thel regular base clamping screw I2, for it is normally locatedbetween the dispenser and the wall.

Thus, it will be seen that the present invention provides a combined shaving cream dispenser and shaving article holder which prevents the loss of shaving articles, provides a satisfactory storage for shaving blades, the latter being arranged to apprise the user constantly of the number of blades available `for use, and that the parts are so arranged that the body portion of the dispenser locates and supports the holder and razor blade compartment 53 and forms a part thereof.

The device 'is' also applicable for use as a dental cream dispenser in which event the shaving article support $0 is replaced with a tooth brush support 66, shown in Fig. 6, having a back plate 61 adapted to llt and be clamped between the back I I of the base member I0 and wall I 3 while wide spaced arms 68 formed integral -therewith embrace the side walls I6 of the'base member to prevent rotation and lateral shifting. Vertical shifting of this form of support relative to the base member may be further prevented by' the provis'on of a screw hole 69 spaced so that the regularholding screw I2 of the base 'member III passes therethrough.

The principle of construction of a combined dispenser and article holder disclosed by the present invention has the advantage of reducing the number of yparts manufactured to a minimum, for it is merely necessary for the man ufacturer to snap the tooth brush support 66 onto the device when he receives an order` for combined dental cream dispensers and tooth brush holders. and to slip a shaving article holder in place when he receives an order for combination shaving cream dispensers and shaving article holders.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is 1 claimed-sas new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters-Patent, isz- 1. A paste dispenser, comprising a base member; deep forwardly extending top and bottom walls at the upper and lower ends respectively of the base member and integral therewith; sha1-l low forwardly extending side walls integral with the base member and paralleling the sides thereof; means for holding a tube on said base member; and a substantially U-shaped cover piece,

adapted to be located and supported by the side, top and bottom walls of the base member, forming front and sides for the dispenser, said top and bottom walls of the base member also forming complementary closures for both the top and bottom of the U-shaped cover piece.

2. A paste dispenser,'comprising a base member; deep forwardly extending top and bottom walls at the upper and lower ends respectively of the base member and integral therewith; shallow forwardly extending side walls integral with the base member and paralleling the sides theree of; meansfor holding a tube on said base member; a substantially U-shaped cover piece, adapted to be located and supported by the side, top and bottom walls of the base member, forming front and sides for theA dispenser; and ears on said U-shaped cover piece adapted to snap into cooperating` slots in the short side walls of the base member to lock the cover piece therein.

3. A paste dispenser, comprising a base member, attachable to walls and the like; deep forwardly projecting upper and lower walls at the top and bottom ends respectively of the base member, and integral therewith; downturned and upturned ears on the sides of the top and bottomwalls respectively; a support for a collapsible tube with paste-like material on the bottom Wall of said device; and a cover piece for inolosing the tube comprising a substantially U- shaped shell, said upper and lower walls preventing vertical movement of the cover with respect to the base member and said downturned ears and upturned ears preventing sidewise movement,

4. A paste dispenser, comprising a base member, attachable to walls and the like; deep forwardly projecting upper and lower walls at the top and bottom ends respectively of the base member, and integral therewith; downturned and upturned ears on the sides of the top and bottom walls respectively; a support for a collapsible tube of paste-like material on the bottom wall of said device; a cover piece for inclosing the tube comprising a substantially U-shaped shell, said upper and lower Walls preventingvertical movement of the cover with respect to the base member and said downturned ears and upturned earspreventing sidewise movement; and integral lugs on the cover piece adapted to snap behind the ears on the top and bottom walls and thereby lock the cover relative to the base member.

5. A paste dispenser, comprising a base member; a support for a collapsible tube integral with the base member; a key member for compressing the collapsible tube; a cover piece for inclosing the collapsible tube; and a snap connection between the cover and the base member for locking one relative to the other, said cover being provided with a slot for guiding the'key member during its vertical travel while compressing the collapsible tube.

6. In a paste dispenser, a base member adapted to secure and support a collapsible tube containing paste-like material; a valve on the dispenser for controlling the iow of the paste-like material; a male threaded neck on the tube; and a nipple leading to the valve having an acute tapered female thread adapted to accommodate and form a leak-proof connection with the male threaded neck and to accommodate various sizes of threaded necks in the one device.

7. In a paste dispenser, an adaptor for accommodating and supporting collapsible tubes having various sizes of male threaded necks comprising a nipple having an acute tapered female thread.

8. A paste dispenser comprising a base member; a support for a collapsible tube mounted on the base member; a key member for compressing the collapsible tube; a cover piece for enclosing the collapsible tube after the latter is mounted on said support; and a snap connection between the cover and the base member for locking one relative to the other, said cover being provided with a slot for guiding the key member during its vertical travel while compressing the collapsible tube.

9. A paste dispenser comprising a back plate; a support for a collapsible tube on said back plate; a key having a shank and a flat handle extending transversely thereof for compressing the collapsible tube; and a cover piece having iront and side walls supported by said back plate and enclosing the collapsible tube, the front wall of said cover being semi-circular and having at its forward central portion a vertical slot for guiding the key member in its vertical travel while compressing the tube, said front wall having portions inclined toward said slot to guide the transverse handle of the key through said slot when applying the cover piece to the back plate.

HAROLD-K. ANDREWS. HoRA'rro J. FRENCH. 

